Farm-gate.



P. EGGERS.

, FARM GATE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6,1907.

Patented Decfl, 1-908.

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F. EGGERS.

FARM GATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 6,1907.

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F. EGGERS.

FARM GATE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6,1907.

7 Pat nted Dec. -1, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND EGGERS, OF ELKHORN, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE KNELL,

' OF ELKHORN, COLORADO.

FARM-GATE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Application filed November 6, 1907. Serial No. 401,008.

T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FERDINAND Eoenns, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Elkhorn, in the county of Larimer and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F arm- Orates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gates for drive ways, and its object is to provide a structure including a gate which can be opened and closed by a person on horseback without dismounting, or by persons in a vehicle, without alighting therefrom, and whose movements during either operation are under absolute control of the manipulator. I attain these objects by the mechanism shown in the. accompanying drawings, in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in which,-

Figure 1- is a plan view of the structure, Fig. 2 a side elevation thereof, Fig. 3 a similar view with the gate in the open or raised position. Fig. 4- a vertical section taken along a line 14, Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 an enlarged, fragmentary view of the frontend of the gate and the adjacent post, showing the latch by which the gate is locked in the closed position, one of the guide-wings on the post having been removed.

In the drawings, let the reference numeral 2 indicate the gate, which may be of any desired construction and which is pivoted at a point 3, between a pair of parallel, rearwardly slanting bars 4., which together with a post 5, form the stationary frame, upon which the gate and the operating mechanism are supported.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the post 5 and the bars 4 supported thereby, as well as the post 21 at the front end of the gate, are erected upon and secured to a sill or sleeper 7, which in practice, is placed below or on a level with the surface of the driveway. I wish it understood, however, that these stationary parts of the structure may be erected independently or supported in any desired manner. 7

The gate 2 is provided with an extension 8, which projects rearwardly beyond its pivotal point, and to which is secured a counterweight 9, whose mission is to facilitate and equalize the movements of the gate about its pivotal axis.

The opposite or front end of the gate is provided with a spring latch 10, which, when the gate is closed, engages a catch 11 secured to the before mentioned post 21, between the outwardly flaring wings 12, which are secured upon opposite sides of the said post, to guide the gate 2 during its up and downward movements.

The latch 10 comprises a draw bolt 13, mounted to move in longitudinal relation to the gate, and surrounded by a coiled spring 14:, the extremities of which engage respectively, a part of the gate and a nut or collar- 15 on the bolt, whose additional function is to limit the inward movement of the bolt by engagement with a shoulder 15 on the gate. The end 16 of the bolt 13, projecting beyond the fixed abutment engaged by the spring, connects with a chain or rope 17, which passes around a sheave 18, rotatably mount ed on the gate at a point between its front end and its point of pivot, and thence upwardly around a sheave 19 upon a cross bar 20, secured at the upper extremity of the stationary frame, to connect with the short arm 22 of a lever 23 fulcrumed upon the extremity of the said cross bar. The latter extends horizontally in opposite directions from the frame, and at right angles to the vertical plane in which the gate is movable, and is preferably composed of two parallel members 2 1 connected at their outer extremities and in between which the above named sheave 19 and a similar sheave 25, located. at the other side of the support, are rotatably mounted.

The arm of the transverse bar extending in opposite direction from that on which the above described lever 23 is fulcrumed, supports at its outer extremity, a similar lever 26, the short arm 27 of which is connected by means of a rod 28, with the long arm of the first named lever at equal distances from their respective fulcrums. This rod 28 is provided with a turn-buckle 29 by means of which its length may be adjusted.

Secured to the long arm of the lever 26 at a distance from its fulcrum approximately equal to the distance between the fulcrum of the lever 22 and its point of connection with the cable 17, is a cable 30, which passing around the above mentioned sheave 25 on the cross bar, connects with the gate at a point 30 on the extension 8, at a distance from the pivotal axis 3, approximately equal to the distance between the latter and the sheave 18, the said points and the said axis being in horizontal alinement when the gate is in the closed position.

In the drawings, the flexible connections between the levers 23 and 2G, and the gate 2 have been shown to be provided with interposed rods 31, which being applied merely to simplify the construction, may be omitted without affecting the operation of the device.

WVhen the gate is in the closed position as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and a of the drawings, the arms and 26 diverge towards the front end of the gate and the rider or the occupant of a vehicle desiring to pass through the gate, takes hold of the long arm of the adjacent lever which projects over the driveway and forcing it inwardly, causes the gate to turn in a vertical plane about its pivotal axis until it has assumed the upright position illustrated in Fig. 3. Having passed through the gate, the operator returns it to its normal position by forcing the long arm of the other lever which through instru mentality of the connection 28, had moved reversely in cooperation with the first named lever, outwardly. During its up and clownward movements the gate is constantly under control of the operator, owing to the fact that the levers and the gate move in unison so that when the one is held at a certain point, the motion of the other will simultaneously cease. This feature of my invention is of importance as it not only reduces the wear on the moving parts to a minimum but more especially because it eliminates to a great extent thedanger of frightening the horse or horses by the up and downward movement of the gate.

The operation of the various parts comprised in my gate structure is as follows: The person approaching the .gate in either direction, reverses by manipulation of its long arm, the position of the adjacent lever 23 the movement of which is synchronously communicated to the second lever through instrumentality of the connection 28. The inward movement of the long arm of the lever 23 and the consequent outward movement of its short arm 22 is by means of the flexible connection 17, converted into a longitudinal movement of the draw bolt 13 which in consequence, is withdrawn from contact with the catch 11 on the post 21 until by engagement of the collar 15 with the shoulder 15 its further movement is arrested. The upward movement of the connection 17 is during subsequent action of the lever, communicated to the gate at the point of location of the sheave 18 between its front end and its pivotal axis, with the result that the said gate is rotated in a vertical plane, its movement being greatly facili tated by the gravitative influence of the weight 9. To lower the gate, the arms are simultaneously returned to their original divergent position by manipulation of one of Y them, the movement of the lever 26 causing through instrumentality of the flexible connection 80, the upward movement of the weighted extension 9 and the consequent downward movement of the main body of the gate. When the latter has reached its normal position the bolt 13 is automatically brought in engagement with the catch 11, by action of the coiled spring 14:.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a stationary support, a post, an interposed gate pivotally mounted at one of its ends upon the former to move about a horizontal axis and having a weighted extension beyond the said end, a rope guide upon the gate between its point of pivot and its opposite end, a draw-bolt having a limited movement on the gate and adapted to lock it to the said post, cooperatively connected levers mounted at opposite sides of the gate, a flexible means connecting one of the said levers with the bolt, in engagement with the said guide and a flexible means connected with the other lever and attached to the weighted extension of the gate, the point of attachment and the said ropeguide being in one horizontal plane with the pivotal axis of the gate when the latter is in its lowered position.

2. In combination, a stationary support, a post, an interposed gate pivotally mounted at one of its ends upon the former to move about a horizontal axis and having a weighted extension beyond the said end, a rope guide upon the gate between its point of pivot and its opposite end, a draw-bolt having a limited movement on the gate and adapted to lock it to the said post, levers fulcrumed to move in a horizontal plane at opposite sides of the gate, a rigid connection between opposite arms of the said levers, flexible means connecting the free arm of one of the said levers with the draw bolt in engagement with the rope-guide and a flexible means connected with the opposite arm of the other lever and attached to the extension of the gate, the point of attachment and the rope guide being in a horizontal plane with the pivotal axis of the gate.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND EGGERS. l Vitnesses N. H. GRIFFITHS, CALVIN MILLER. 

